What Sells Now by Christine DeOrio

What Sells Now

STORY BY CHRISTINE DEORIO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIBEON PHOTOGRAPHY

WHAT MAKES A HOME ATTRACTIVE TO BUYERS? TELLURIDE RESIDENCE “PA GOMO” HAS IT ALL. ARCHITECT JACK SNOW AND REALTOR STEVE CATSMAN LEAD THE ROOM-BY-ROOM TOUR.

PA GOMO MEANS “ON THE MOUNTAIN” in Shana, a southern African dialect. It’s an appropriate name for this home perched on the side of Hawn Mountain in Telluride’s Grayhead development. From this vantage above the San Miguel Canyon, views stretch from the Lizard Head Wilderness area to the San Miguel Mountains and are punctuated by the Ophir Needles, Pilot Knob, Sunshine Mountain and Wilson Peak. “Clients who tour Pa Gomo comment that the house and the views rival each other,” says listing agent Steve Catsman, “and more often than not, the house wins.” The home’s owners came to architect Jack Snow of RKD Architects in search of a work of art. And so, “rather than starting with a typical mountain home and adding a twist to it,” says Snow, “I designed a sculpture that made sense on this lot and for these clients.” A series of separate “pods” connected by bridges, Pa Gomo is an interplay between heavy and light. Heavy stones harvested from the site interconnect with lighter, curved roof elements and sloped walls of glass; grand public spaces are balanced by intimate spots; and indoors and outdoors interact at every turn to create a dynamic work of art.

LETTING THE OUTSIDE IN

A strong indoor/outdoor connection is one of Pa Gomo’s defining characteristics. In the living room (right), the transition to the outdoor patio is made with a series of retractable windows. Just inside is an intimate seating area; outside, but still under cover—and heated by radiant heaters—is a dining table and outdoor kitchen, complete with a wood-burning pizza oven. Flagstone floors set in a random pattern create continuity, easing the transition from inside to out.

What Sells “Buyers who come to Grayhead tend to spend at least half of their time living outdoors—sunning, watching the storms come and go, cooking and entertaining,” says Catsman. “Retractable walls are very attractive to them because they can open the house up in the morning and leave it that way until they go to bed. And of course, buyers are always drawn to an outdoor kitchen outfitted with professional-grade appliances.”

AN IMPRESSIVE APPROACH A series of bridges serves as connectors between the pods that house Pa Gomo’s living spaces. “I have a thumbnail sketch of a view from a bridge to the mountains beyond,” says Snow. “It stuck and the design grew from it.” The master suite (below) is accessed via a glass bridge that’s surrounded by water and literally suspended over the pond. “As clients approach the suite, I can see the anticipation build,” says Catsman, “because through the doorway, they catch a glimpse of the room’s walls of glass and the pond just beyond. Then, as they enter the room, they’re treated to views of Lizard Head and Wilson Peak.”

GARAGE

KITCHEN

OFFICE

DINING ROOM

GREAT ROOM

FIRE PIT

MASTER SUITE

ROOMS WITH A VIEW “Buyers love interesting details and quality craftsmanship, and the master suite is a great example of what they’re looking for,” says Catsman. “Everything is custom.” The bathroom features Durango travertine tile, a glass-enclosed shower and a sunken tub positioned next to floor-to-ceiling windows to create the illusion of bathing al fresco. An exterior stone wall extends into the room, furthering the indoor/outdoor connection.

ONE-OF-A-KIND DESIGN

In the master bedroom, “you’re literally floating about a foot above the water,” says Snow of the sleeping area, which is cantilevered over the pond. “The windows extend from floor to ceiling, so you really feel like you’re on the water.” Many of the architecture’s themes and shapes are echoed in the home’s custom furniture, like this mahogany bed, which was designed by RKD Inside. “We made a conscious effort to create furniture that feels like it’s a part of the home without looking redundant and hotel-like,” Snow says. “Unique details like these,” adds Catsman, “are irresistible to buyers.”

MULTI-USE SPACES “The kitchen (left) was designed to accommodate two cooks and their guests,” says Snow. “A serving bar—complete with an integrated sink that’s great for serving beverages—allows guests to be in the kitchen without getting in the way.” A food-preparation area features a sink and dishwasher—one of two in the kitchen—while a larger main sink is ideal for bigger tasks. What Sells “Most of the luxury home buyers I work with like to entertain, so they’re really into kitchens,” Catsman says. “They want wide-open spaces equipped with the most high-tech appliances available. They’re looking for multiple sinks, two dishwashers, high-end appliances—anything to add to the room’s efficiency and ‘wow’ factor. Buyers also like to see kitchens that aren’t just functional but that offer entertainment areas, too. Dedicated counter space with barstools and little areas to visit are a big plus. This particular kitchen even features a flat-screen TV that pops out of a custom mahogany cabinet, which adds to the entertainment factor.”

About the Property Listing Price: $20.5 million Listing Broker: Steve Catsman, Telluride Real Estate Corporation, 970-728-6629, catsman.com

NATURAL LANDSCAPING “When a home has views like this, buyers plan to spend a lot of time outside,” says Catsman. “In this market, they tend to prefer a more natural look—think water features, tasteful hardscaping and native wildflowers—so all the landscaping here needed to do was complement the natural surroundings.” Working with Land Designs by Ellison, Snow designed the hardscapes—a thoughtful mix of expansive entertaining spaces and intimate spots, like the breakfast patio above—to blend into the natural landscape. “We minimized the vocabulary of the landscape, sticking to a blend of grasses and some flower and moss beds,” he says. “We took great pains to make it hard to distinguish disturbed from undisturbed land.”